Wringer release



Aug. 4, 1942. T. R. SMITH WRINGER RELEASE Filed April 3, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 4, 1942. T. R. SMITH WRINGER RELEASE Filed April 3, 1940 5 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 4, 1942. T. R. SMITH 2,291,989

WRINGR RELEASE Filed April :5, 1940 3 sheets-sheet 5 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. V4, 1942 2,291,989 WRINGER RELEASE l Thomas R.

Maytag Company. of Delaware Application April 3, 1940, Serial No. 327,664

Smith, Newton,

Newton,

Iowa, assignor to The Iowa, a corporation Claims. (Cl. 68-263) The present invent'on relates to a wringer for washing machines and more particularly to a novel safety release whereby the tension and pressure between the wringer rolls may be instantaneously relieved by the operator and the rolls simultaneously separated. In the novel disclosed construction, the safetyrelease is so positioned and arranged as to make it equally accessible from either side of the wringer and requires but little effort on the part of the operator for tripping the The invention further comprehends a novel wringer release for a wringer of the split type in which the upper section carrying the upper roll is pivotally mounted upon a lower section or main frame carrying the lower or driving roll,

.these rolls being maintained under pressure durrelease and separating the rolls. v

ing operation, but instantaneously separated when an emergency arises.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, iciency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects. advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessedthereby. y

The invention further resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts i1- lustrated in the accompanying drawings, and whilel have shown therein a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modication and change, and comprehends other details, arrangements of parts, features and constructions without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation of the novel wringer construction.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in vertical cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 5, and showing the wringer in operative position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in emi elevation with parts show the details of the tripping mechanism and with the release lever tripped to release the tension and pressure on the rolls and allow for their separation. y V,

Fig. 4 is a view in horizontal cross` section of the wringer assembly and releasev mechanism taken on the irregular line 4-4 of- Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View, part 'in side elevation and part in vertical cross section, of the wringer frame construct-ion and release mecha- Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of the novel release lever. c

broken away to more clearlyI Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of the tension reset handle.

Fig. 8 is a view in vertical cross section through the assembled release lever and tension reset handle taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly to the disclosure in the drawings, the novel invention is shown as embodied in a wringer I of the split type', the operation of which is controlled t ough suitable gearing enclosed within a gear case 2 and a single handle 3 for controlling the Starting, stopping and rotation of the rolls l and 5 in either direction of their travel.

The Wringer I comprises a main frame 6 carrying the lower roll 5, and an upper frame section carrying the upper roll 4 having the opposite ends of its shaft l'I rotatably mounted in ballv bearings 8 carriedfin the opposite wringer hinge caps 9 and I0. Each of these hinge caps is pivotally mounted at l I to the upper end of the lugs I2 which are shown as' connected to the upper ends of hinge bolts I3 located at the opposite ends and at one side of the main frame 6. At the other side of the wringer frame are located aA pair of hook members I4 connected to the upper ends of bolts I5, one adjacent each 'end of the main frame. Each of the hinge and hook bolts I3 and I5 are shown as equipped with a tension spring I6 seating at one end against the underside of the shoulders I1 and I8, and at their other end against the adjustable nut I9. Each spring is thus held under compression, the amount of which may be adjusted by the adjustment of the nut I9.

In this form of the invention, the hinge bolts I3 are held down against the upper surface of the shoulders I1 by means of the springs which exert their pressure upon the ends of the hinge caps 9 and I0 through the tension bolts. If desired, the hinge bolts I3 may be dispensed with and the lugs I2 formedintegral with the upper surface or the shoulders I1 on the mainframe 6.

The handle for the tension reset comprises a cap Zuhaving oppcsitely projecting trunnions 2| each provided with spaced bearing surfaces journalled or pivotally mounted in the opposite side walls 22 and 23 of the hinge caps 9 and I0 and an intermediate flat portion 2l adapted to engage under the hooks I4 vand force the hinge caps downwardly, thereby forcing the upper roll l downwardly against the bottom roll 5 and causing the springs I6 to exert their tension and apply pressure between the top and bottom rolls of the wringer. From an examination of Figs. 2

land 3 otthe drawings, it will be evident that if this reset cap 20 is turned further (see Fig. 3) than the normal or operative'position shown in Fig. 2, the at portions 24 of the trunnons 2| will disengage from under the hook bolts and thereby release the pressure on the rolls exerted by the tension springs I6. This is accomplished through a release lever 25 projecting through and above the reset handle or cap 20.

To hold the wringer in tensionand to prevent the reset handle from going on past the position shown in Fig. 2, the release lever 25 is pinned at 26 to the reset handle or cap 20 in such manner that the projections or prongs 21 at the ends of the release lever stop or prevent this reset handle from moving past the normal operative position by the projections or prongs 21 abutting against the stop pins 28 secured in the linner walls 23 of the hinge caps, and in which position the tension springs apply pressure to the rolls. However, when pressure is applied from either side of the wringer to the portion of the release lever 25 which protrudes through the reset handle, the projections orv prongs 21 will swing away from the stop pins 28, thereby allowing the reset handle to go past the tension positions, releasing the hook bolts` I from engagement with the flat portions 24 on the trunnions 2| yand releasing the pressure on the rolls. A bracket gage under the hook bolts so as 29 acts as a stop for the release lever by reason of its end 30 projecting into an opening or slot 3| in a side wall of the release lever and thereby limiting this lever ln its upper and lower positions of `movement to approximately the width of the opening or slot. In order to hold the release lever in the upper or tension position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8, until the operator trips or depresses this lever, a spring 32 is provided between the stop bracket 29 and the upper edge of opening 3| in the release lever which tensionally maintains the reset lever in its raised position. Both the spring and stop member are shown as secured in position by means of screws or other attaching means 83.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. In a wringer construction, av main frame carrying a roll, an upper frame section carrying a roll and including a reset handle and a hinge cap at each end pivotally mounted on the main frame at one side thereof and in such manner that the rolls may be widely separated or moved into engagement for operation, hook bolts carried by the main frame upon the side opposite to the pivotal mounting, tension springs associated with the hook bolts and adapted to be placed under compression when the rolls are operatively engaged and to apply pressure to the rolls, trunnions carried bythe reset handle for pivotally mounting the handle in the hinge cap, cam surfaces provided on said trunnions adapted to ento force the hinge capszdownwardly, compress the springs and place therolls under pressure, and a release lever journailed in the reset handle and projecting therethrough and thereabove to make it equally accessible from either side of the wringer for retaining the'engagement of the cam surfaces and hook bolts until the operator applies pressure to the release lever and thereby releases the operative engagement between the hinge cap and hook bolts to relieve the pressure on the rolls.

2. In a wringer of the split frame type having an upper and lower section each carrying a roll and in which the lower frame section is maintained stationary and the. upper frame section is ing pressure to the pivotally mounted onl the lower section at one side thereof, means for detachably connecting the upper frame lower section and to operatively engage the rolls and maintain them under pressure, said means including spring-pressed hook bolts mounted in the lower section, a reset handle on the upper section provided with trunnions having a part adapted to be engaged under each hook bolt to tensionally retain the upper section onto the lower section and apply pressure to the rolls. and means for quickly releasing the trunnions from their engagement and relieving the pressure on the rolls, said last mentioned means comprising a release lever carried in the reset handle and projecting thereabove so as to be equally accessible from either side of the wringer, and said lever and an abutment on the upper section adapted to retain the trunnions in engagement with the hook bolts until the release lever is tripped.

3. In a wringer of the split frame type having an upper and a lower section each carrying a n roll and with the upper section pivotally mounted on the lower section in such manner thatpthe upper section may be swung open and the rolls widely separated, means for tensionally latching the upper section to the lower section and applyrolls and comprising a pair of spring-actuated hook bolts carried in the opposite ends of the lower section and a, pivotally adapted to engage under the hook of said bolts whereby to compress the springs, means for retaining said trunnions and hooks latched, andv a release lever so disposed as to be equally accessible and readily tripped from either side of the Wringer whereupon the trunnions are disengaged from said hooks to instantaneously relieve pressure on allow for the wide separation of the rolls and frame sections.

4. In a wringer of the split frame type having an upper and a lower section each carrying a roll and with the upper section pivotally mounted on the lower section in such manner that the upper whereby to compress the springs, a release lever l section to the other side oi.' said projecting through the cap and a roll and with the upper section pivotally mounted on the lower section in such manner that the upper section may be swung open and the `rolls widely separated, means for latching the upper section tothe lower section and in- 5 cluding a cap overlying the upper roll and pivotally mounted in the uppersection providing a reset handle for placing the rolls under pressure for the wringing operation, and means for instantaneously unlatching said sections and re- 10 lieving the pressure on the rolls, said means including a release lever pivotally mounted in the cap and projecting therethrough, a projection depending from said lever; and a stop located in the path of said projection, said projection and stop, when engaged, maintaining said sections latched until pressure is applied to the release lever to cause the projection to ride over the stop.

THOMAS R. SMITH. 

